When it comes to moving, there are a couple of tricks that moving  or packing companies can do to make your moving, (packing costs) go up dramatically.  It is important that you are around all the time, if you are having professional packers, professional movers do your move.  These tips will help you avoid from being charged unnecessary charges that can occur in many household moves today.

First of all, say you didn’t get a chance to finish packing all of your boxes, or sealing up all your cartons.  One way a moving company can get your costs to increase is by using an obscene amount of tape.  Sometimes the movers will make commission by how much material they sell.  If you think “oh I’ll just have the mover seal them up”.  This could potentially slow your move down, which will add more cost, and the movers could potentially over tape and tape and tape, so you there’s more tape on the box then you even know.  Before you know it, you are being charge for 50 rolls of tape to seal up your boxes.  It’s a good idea if you are packing yourself, to have extra moving tape around, so the movers cannot do this.

If you decide to use professional packers to pack your belongings, get an estimate for packing costs first!  Most moving companies charge per unit (per box), so the number of boxes and how they pack them is important.  Supervise and verify that boxes are properly filled. 

Packing Tricks

One trick a dishonest packer can do is what’s called a “balloon pack”, or put only a few items per box and fill the rest in with wadded newsprint.  This can dramatically raise the number of boxes to be packed.  One small pillow in a large carton filled with paper or each lamp shade getting its own individual box are examples of a “balloon pack”.  Now that doesn’t mean every box that is light is under packed, it means to observe the pack and ask questions and use common sense when evaluating the pack.  This also doesn’t mean that all packing or moving companies will try to use deceptive practices to bump up your costs.  Most companies are fine and do a fine job, but check them out on the front side and observe them during the packing to protect your interests.  “Caveat Emptor” or “Buyer Beware” is always safe advice.

When choosing an interstate mover, there are some possible pitfalls you can encounter if you don’t do your homework.  Interstate moves can be subcontracted or “brokered” meaning the person you talk to and book with initially may not be the mover that actually performs your interstate move.  The following is a real story sent to us about a negative moving experience with a brokered move. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and/or guilty.  The story is told by the person who was moved in the first person.  After the story, we’ll cover some points of interest.

IHAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH x moving company, WHO GAVE ME A GUARANTEED QUOTE, HOWEVER SOME “SCHLOCK” COMPANY NAMED y moving company SHOWED UP.  THE TRUCK HAS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY ON THE TRUCK WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE LARGE BLACK MARKING PENS.  THEY ARRIVED 3.5 HOURS LATE, SO WE KEPT CALLING moving company x…..WHO BY THE WAY NEVER TOLD US IT WOULD NOT BE A moving company x.

WHEN THE DRIVER ARRIVED, HE WAS UPSET WITH US BECAUSE WE HAD CALLED TO COMPLAIN THAT HE DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE TIME WE WERE TOLD HE WOULD, 7 AM.  RATHER, HE ARRIVED 10:30 WITH “ATTITUDE”  WAS TOTALLY DISHEVELED AND VERY “ROUGH AND COURSE” IN HIS LANGUAGE TO NOT ONLY US BUT THE “OTHER” (QUESTIONAL) MOVERS.  AS THE DAY PROGRESSED IT BECAME VERY CLEAR AS TO THE TYPE OF “OTHER” MOVERS HE HAD APPARENTLY EMPLOYED LOCALLY.  ONE WAS A FORMER DRIVER WHO LOST HIS LICENSE BECAUSE OF A DUI, OTHERS HAD BEEN IN PRISON, AND OTHERS HAD ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE AND WERE NOT BEING SUPERVISED IN ANY WAY.

WE HAD TOLD moving company x THAT WE HAD BOXES IN EXCELLENT SHAPE FROM THE PREVIOUS MOVE, YET THE DRIVER ARRIVED WITH TONS OF BOXES, TAPE, PACKING MATERIAL ETC.  WE ASKED WHY? HE STATED THAT “NO ONE HAD TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD ANY OF THIS STUFF” AND THIS WAS “JUST ONE” OF THE REASONS THAT HE WAS LATE.

HE WAS BUSY PACKING AND DID NOT SUPERVISE THE OTHERS, IN ANY WAY, THUS THEIR BOXES WERE PACKED WITH ONE ITEM AND TONS OF PAPER AND TAPE. WE HAVE MOVED MANY TIMES AND ARE WELL AWARE OF THE EXACT WEIGHT OF EACH MOVE.  NOTHING NEW HAD BEEN PURCHASED, NOTHING HAD CHANGED, AND EVERYTHING WAS EXACTLY THE SAME.  YET, WHEN HE CALLED FROM THE ROAD, HE GAVE US A VERY EXAGERRATED WEIGHT AND WE IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED IT, ALONG WITH ALL THE BOXES, TAPE AND PACKING MATERIAL THAT HE HAD  (RANDOMLY) JUST LISTED ON THE PAPERWORK.  WE CLEARLY TOLD moving company x, THE PERSON THAT WE RECEIVED THE GUARANTEED QUOTE FROM, THE WEIGHT WE KNEW OUR MOVE TO BE, THAT WE HAD ALL OUR OWN BOXES, and ETC. THAT THE WEIGHT THAT THEY WERE NOW….QUOTING US WAS NOT CORRECT.  THEY SUGGESTED WE TALK TO THIS “moving company y” THAT WAS WRITTEN ON THE SIDE OF THE VAN. 

PURCHASING A NEW HOME, THE FINAL CLOSING PAPERWORKS WERE SCHEDULED FOR CLOSING 7 DAYS LATER.  THUS, THEY TOLD US WHILE ON THE ROAD, THEY WERE HEADING BACK TO NEVADA TO DO A JOB AND WE ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO OUR THINGS WHICH FILLED THE TRUCK.  THEIR RESPONSE WAS “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT”.  WE DID.   WE CONTACTED “moving company y” AND TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE EXTREMELY DISPLEASED WITH THE WEIGHT ESTIMATE, THEIR “LOW CALIBER” MOVERS, THE SUPERVISOR, THE PACKING MATERIAL QUOTES, ETC.  NONE OF THESE MATCHED THE QUOTES FROM moving company x.  WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WANTED TO MEET THE TRUCK AT A WEIGH STATION NEAR THE NEW HOUSE, BUT INSTEAD, THEY NEGOTIATED ON THE PHONE WHAT THEY WOULD CHANGE IT TO.  WE STILL WERE NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO, BUT AT THIS POINT THEY WERE HOLDING THINGS “HOSTAGE”.  THEY WOULD NOT…………GO TO THE WEIGH STATION!  THEY WERE RUDE, CONDESCENDING AND “READY TO BE DONE WITH US” WE WERE TOLD.

WHEN THE TRUCK FINALLY DID ARRIVE, ONCE AGAIN THERE WERE “LOCAL HANDS” WHO WERE NOT AT ALL HAPPY WITH THE DRIVER AND TOLD US THEIR FIRST…. TRIP INTO THE HOUSE WITH WHAT WE COULD WERE CRUSHED BOXES, SCRATCHED FURNITURE, BOXES THAT THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO CALL OFF ANY NUMBERS ON TO ASSURE THAT WE RECEIVED ALL OF OUR BOXES.  (WE USUALLY HAVE MOVERS THAT HAND US THE LIST AND CALL OUT THE BOX STICKERS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE DELIVERED ALL OF OUR FURNITURE.  THIS DRIVER SAID NO…… AND JUST STARTED DROPPING THINGS ALL OVER THE HOUSE.  AS THE DELIVERY CONTINUED, THE DRIVER AND THE “LOCAL” WERE FIGHTING AND YELLING AT EACH OTHER.  TWO OF THE “LOCAL” WERE BROTHERS, (THE OTHER BROTHER TOLD US) AND STARTED TO SCREAM AND CRY. 

AS MY WHITE SOFAS WERE BROUGHT INTO THE HOUSE I NOTICED BLACK GREASE MARKS ALL OVER THE SOFAS, THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER WAS NICKED AND DINGED, THE KING SIZED MATTERESS HAD THE SIDE HANDLES PULLED OUT, THEY JUST SHRUGGED AND KEPT MOVING THINGS.

IT WAS A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE AND THE MOVE WAS THE WORST THAT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. AS I STARTED TO “OPEN BOXES” I SAW THAT MANY OF THE LARGEST HAD ONE ITEM IN THEM WITH TONS OF PACKING PAPER AND TAPE. ONE THING!  I FOUND ITEMS THAT WERE DENTED, BROKEN, SCRAPPED, FORCED INTO BOXES, MANY THINGS SCRATCHED, SCRAPED, DESTROYED, ETC.  AS BOXES CONTINUED TO BE OPEN IT WAS CLEAR THAT ITEMS WERE MISSING, ITEMS THAT CLEARLY NEEDED PROTECTION AND WRAPPING WERE MERELY SHOVED BETWEEN EXPENSIVE DECORATOR PILLOWS.  THE BANG AND OLUFSEN RECORD PLAYER AND SPEAKERS WERE UNBELIEVABLE!  THE NEEDLE HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF AND TAPED TO THE TURN TABLE, THE ENTIRE TURN TABLE FELL OUT OF THE BOX BECAUSE IT WAS PACKED UPSIDE DOWN!  THE ELECTRICAL CORDS FOR THE SPEAKERS WERE NOT WRAPPED, IN FACT THEY WERE WOUND AROUND OTHER UNWRAPPED THINGS IN THE BOX, AND THEY ARE SPLIT, PULLED APART, BROKEN AND WE CANNOT USE THEM IN THE SCRAPPED, FABRIC TORN SPEAKERS THAT ARE STANDING ON CRACKED AND DAMAGED STANDS. PICTURES WERE SHOVED INTO BOXES, WITHOUT ANY WRAPPING, AND ANTIQUE FRAMES AND COLLECTIBLE HAND FANS WERE NICKED,DAMAGED, SCRAPED, GLASS BROKEN, PUSH IN, BACKING WERE SHREDDED, ETC.  GLASS “CRUETS” FOR OIL AND VINEGAR WERE IN SEPARATE BOXES UNWRAPPED WITH POTS AND PANS, UNWRAPPED!  SO THEY ARE “CHIPPED”, ETC.   ITEMS FOR THE KITCHEN WERE LAST MINUTE, APPARENTLY, SHOVED INTO BOXES MARKED GARAGE….. BOXES THAT HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE HAD UNWRAPPED DESIGNER PILLOWS SHOVED INTO BOXES FOLDED IN HALF, ETC. ETC. ETC.

IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT A “COLLECTIBLE” DIAMOND BACK PICTURE, SIGNED BY ALL THE TEAM MEMBERS, UPON WINNING WAS “TOTALLY MISSING” IT WAS NOT IN ANY PICTURE BOX; WHILE MANY OF THE PICTURES AND ANTIQUE FANS WERE IN BOXES UNWRAPPED WITH BROKEN CERAMIC ITEMS.  WHEN ALL THE UNPACKING WAS DONE, WE IMMEDIATELY SAT DOWN AND DOCUMENTED IT TO THE BOTH THIS “SLEAZY” moving company x and moving company y. 

PICTURES WERE TAKEN (48 OF THEM) AND WERE SENT TO THEM TO SHOW THE DAMAGE, BUT WHAT THEY DID WAS TRY TO “DECLINE” THE CLAIM.  (I WORK OUT OF COUNTRY, THEY WERE TOLD OF THIS FACT AS I WAS LEAVING ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE HORRIFYING MOVE.  THEY ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED TO WAIT FOR THE PICTURES, AND WHEN I RETURNED MONTHS AND MONTHS LATER THEY ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIVING THEM.

WHAT THEY DID WAS “DECLINE THE CLAIM” ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLAIM VIA THE INTERNET AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT I TRAVEL OUT OF COUNTRY FOR WORK.

I WROTE TO THEM, moving company x ANSWERED THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO GET THEM TO REOPEN IT AND EVERYONE WAS……….AWARE IMMEDIATELY OF ALL THE DAMAGE AND THAT FACT THAT I WAS OUT OF COUNTRY.  Moving company x, NOT moving company y SENT ME A NOTE THAT moving company y WAS REOPENING THE CLAIM, I WROTE TO THEM AND THEY SENT BACK AN EMAIL, THAT YES, IT WAS REOPENED. 

15 MONTHS LATER, AFTER CONTINUES CONTACT ON MY………………..PART, CONTINUOUS FOLLOW THROUGH, ON MY PART……….. WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION OR CONTACT INITIATED BY moving company x or moving company y, I CONTACTED A LAW FIRMS. 19 MONTHS INTO THE PROBLEM, THEY TRIED TO SEND ME AN ABRITRATION FORM, WHICH I DECLINED, AS ATTORNEYS, PUCS AND ATTORNEY GENERALS HAVE BEEN WATCHING.   I STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION, NOR HAS ANYONE EVEN TRIED TO SETTLE THE MATTER.  (WHEN I RETURNED 2 WEEKS AGO, I WAS SENT BY MY MAIL COLLECTOR SERVICE AN ENVELOPE WHERE “xxxxx CLAIMS” IN ARIZONA SUGGESTED ( APPARENTLY IN MAY, 2010) VIA A FORM LETTER THAT THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE BE PAID $60.00!

I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERALS, BETTER BUSINESS BUREAUS, ATTORNEYS AND PUCS ( OF EACH STATE INVOLVED) BUT I SEE NO RESOLUTION.  I DID EVERTHING AND MORE TO ATTEMPT TO GET THIS MATTER RESOLVED…….THEY HAVE JUST IGNORED ME.

I HAVE FOUND, THROUGH INTERNET SEARCHES OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN “SCREWED” ( EXCUSE ME) BY moving company x and moving company y. I WAS NEVER TOLD, I REPEAT, THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE WORKING WITH AND REPRESENTED BY moving company x.  I HAVE EVERY SINGLE EMAIL THAT I HAVE SENT TO BOTH COMPANIES, AND CAN SEND THOSE TO YOU.  YOU WILL SEE THAT I DID ADVISE IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS YET………..TODAY 21 MONTHS LATER I STILL SIT HERE WITH ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THEY JUST “IGNORE ME”.

I WILL NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU. ALL THEY HAVE OFFERED IS $60.00!   UNBELIEVABLE, CAN YOU ASSIST, ALSO, IN GETTING THESE “SHARKS” IN LINE AND OUT OF BUSINESS.  THEY ARE “THIEVES” AND “LIARS”….. WHO WON’T GO CLOSE TO WEIGH SCALES WHILE HOLDING ITEMS HOSTAGE. 

THANKS  “G”

The story has been left as original as possible in reference to grammar, sentence structure, capitalization, etc.

We have not taken any sides since we have not heard the opposing parties side, but the customer does have rights, and this was our response to our customer:

Just a couple of the moving laws that are on your side. 

http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/HomePage.asp  (this is where you can submit a complaint against a household goods mover).  They may go out and investigate the company, sometimes they don’t do anything if the company has only one complaint against them, but they should be able to assist you in the direction you should go.  If you are not able to do anything, you should be able to file a civil suit locally.

Just a couple more moving laws that are definitely on your side:

FMCSA regulation 375.513  :http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=375.513  (you must give the shipper or person responsible for paying the right to observe the reweighing of the shipment)

You must give the individual shipper or any other person responsible for the payment of the freight charges the right to observe all weighings of the shipment. You must advise the individual shipper, or any other person entitled to observe the weighings, where and when each weighing will occur. You must give the person who will observe the weighings a reasonable opportunity to be present to observe the weighings.

FMCSA regulation 375.515 (a shipper can demand a reweigh)

375.515 May an individual shipper waive his/her right to observe each weighing?

(a) If an individual shipper elects not to observe a weighing, the shipper is presumed to have waived that right.

(b) If an individual shipper elects not to observe a reweighing, the shipper must waive that right in writing. The individual shipper may send the waiver notification via fax transmission; e-mail; overnight courier; or certified mail, return receipt requested.

(c) Waiver of the right to observe a weighing or reweighing does not affect any other rights of the individual shipper under this part or otherwise.

Part 375 App A to Part 375 Your Rights and Responsibilities When you Move:

Your mover must have an arbitration program.  There should be some type of arbitration program offered by the mover.

I would recommend contacting the FMCSA, if you are unable to get anywhere with this, you should proceed with filing a civil suit with the state you are currently residing in, especially since these laws are on your side.

So the moral of the story is to do plenty of research on the company you contract with to do your move.  This can help you head off these types of problems before they start.  If you do however run into a problem with an interstate household mover, you can file a complaint with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) at 1-888-368-7238 Monday – Friday (9am-7pm EST), you can also visit www.protectyourmove.gov .

The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has a hotline for consumers to file complaints against household goods carriers (or other commercial carriers). The number is 1-888-368-7238 (1-888-DOT-SAFT) and is in place for people who make interstate moves (moves across state lines) and feel that they have been treated in an unfair (and illegal) fashion.  Transportation secretary Ray LaHood states “companies that violate federal regulations and take advantage of consumers will be held accountable and they will face serious legal and financial consequences.”

Recently in Florida a moving company was fined $281,000.00 for regulation violations.  To read the story in its entirety visit FMCSA Fines Moving Van Lines, Inc, $281,000 for Violating Multiple Federal Regulations.  To visit the National Consumer Database, go to   http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov to review or sumbit consumer complaints.  Anyone planning an interstate move is encouraged to visit the “Protect Your Move” website at www.protectyourmove.gov to review shippers’ rights and responsibilities and obtain information on household goods carriers (registered with the D.O.T).

It has been brought to our attention, there are several emails that are in the circulation and an ad on  Craig’s List by someone using the identity of a legitimate moving company trying to sell a vehicle.  The actual company, Absolutemovingandstorage.com  has nothing to do with the emails, it’s a scam.  One of the scam emails or postings tell of an individual or couple that lost their son in Iraq, in combat.  They are trying to sell his vehicle for $4000.00 (including shipping) to offset debts and expenses, etc.

The scammers ask potentail purchasers to send a moneygram or wire funds in the amount of $4000.00 and once received Absolute-Moving.net will guarantee delivery.  Everyone PLEASE BE ON THE ALERT!  This is a moving scam.  Do not release any banking information, do not send any money, NO VEHICLE IS GOING TO BE DELIVERED.  The people responsible for this scam are most likely outside the U.S. so the chance of catching them or recovering any transferred money is near zero. 

Please review  the sample email below of what is being sent to people.  There is another email being sent (mentioned above) about a couple’s lost son.  The number listed does go to the actual moving company but the mover has nothing to do with the scam and has no knowledge of any delivery.  Everyone should become familiar with the article to see how the scam works.  Any questions, comments, or input regarding this scam or others should be sent to support@emovingstorage.com.  The original person who  received this informations name has been deleted for protection of their identity.

Dear (Name not published to protect the email recipients identity)
>  
> We suggest that you print this page for future references
>  
      
> Transaction # 74832021977  Description: 2007 BMW M6 Registered by: Anthony Garcia
 
> Details:
> ====================================
> Vehicle Description BMW 2007 BMW M6 
> Tracking # 1IL852E8BCPTERZPQ
>  
> Shipping:  Paid     
> Taxes:  $0 
> Total:  $4,000.00
> ====================================
>
>     
> Delivery address:
> ====================================
> Full name: this information has been deleted to protect the recipients information
> Street:
> City: Elizabeth
> State: NJ
> Zipcode: 07208
> Country:  USA
> ====================================
>
>
> How it works:
>
> 1. The buyer and seller agree to use the Absolute Moving & Storage © for payment transfer.
> 2. The buyer transfer the funds to Absolute Moving & Storage © in order to begin the shipping procedures and take the vehicle of the market. The funds should arrive at Absolute Moving & Storage © within 2 business days.
> 3. Upon receipt of the funds, Absolute Moving & Storage © notifies the seller that the funds are on hand with Absolute Moving & Storage ©
> 4. Absolute Moving & Storage © ship the vehicle , a tracking number will be provided to the buyer.
> 5. After the buyer has inspected ( 5 business days ) the vehicle and agreed to buy it, Absolute Moving & Storage © sends the funds to the seller and takes care for the buyer of the paperworks and title transfer that needs to be done for registration
> ====================================
 
> $4,000 money order must be made through MoneyGram ( Same-Day service ) to our company Lawyer`s name and address:
>
> Name: Brandon Anderson
> Street: Service Rd.
> City: Selma
> State: NC
> Zipcode : 27576
> Country : USA
> ====================================
> Note: Our Lawyer is directly involved in this transaction because Mr.Garcia have paid for title transfer service.
 ====================================
>
> Once your MoneyGram same-day transfer is completed please reply this email to and provide the following information:
>  
>  
> – MoneyGram Sender’s full name, address, city, state, zip and phone # (that person who completed the MoneyGram transfer)
> – The MoneyGram Reference Number  ( 8-digit number located on your confirmation receipt)
> – Total amount transferred
>  
> ====================================
> 
  
> Moneygram is a money transfer service. You can essentially send cash to another person or business.
> How MoneyGram works:
> 1) Go to a MoneyGram Agent location (currently there are more than 25,000, including all 3.400 Wal-Marts) and complete a short form ( MoneyGram same-day service ) with your information and the recipient’s information ( our Lawyer`s full details )
> 2) MoneyGram agent will process your transaction and give you a 8 digit reference number
> 3) Money have been sent!
>  

>
> Please confirm your phone # , We will call you to confirm your address and discuss accessibility.
> If accessibility is limited the driver may suggest meeting at a local supermarket or mall with ample space to unload your car.
> Your car will be transported on an 8 or 10-car hauler, the same type of trucks used to deliver new cars to your local dealerships.
> These trucks are 75 to 80 feet long and are almost 14 feet high. Therefore they are very hard to maneuver and are restricted to main roads that do not have any overhanging trees or low clearance bridges.
> Our drivers will call you the morning of your delivery date to give you a three-hour block of time during which your delivery will be made.
> This call also confirms to us that you will be available to receive the delivery on the scheduled date. If you are not home when we attempt to make your delivery on the scheduled delivery date, we will help you reschedule your delivery for the next available date.
>  
>  
>  
>
>  
>  
> Please save/print this email for your records
> If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us>
>  
> Email:
> Support@Absolute-Moving.net
> Phone:
> 800-549-4578
>  
>  
>
>
>
>

Moving scams are still occurring these days, and that is why we stress the importance of researching the moving company before you choose who you are moving with.  This lady was smart enough to call the police, and stop this “rogue mover” before they got away with thousands of her dollars.  The movers were posing as another moving company, and have been on the run now for several months scamming customer after customer.

There are some helpful clues as we have discussed on how you can figure out if your moving company is a “legit moving company”.  Get a referral from friends and family, check the letter ratings with the Better Business Bureau, and view the number of complaints over the last 36 months (new movers under a  year old, and movers who have recently changed their names are not listed).  Check with your state’s moving association, or regulatory agency to verify required licensing and or registration.  Cheapest is not always the best way to go, even if you are on a budget. 

“RED FLAGS” To Watch Out For

• Be careful if the mover:  will not come and give you an in home or onsite estimate.
• Be careful if the mover: requires large deposits or amounts of cash before the move has occurred.
• Be careful if the mover: only accepts cash as a form of payment.
• Be careful if the mover: tells you that all of your goods are fully covered under their insurance, automatically.
• Be careful if the mover:  does not have a physical address, license #, and registration on their documents or website to verify who they are.
• Be careful if the:  phone # they give you is disconnected, or they don’t answer by the name of the company they say they are representing.
• Be careful if the mover: will not provide you with a moving rules and regulations brochure.

As discussed, these scams are occurring every day, to read more on what happened to this lady, and how she helped put a stop to these criminals going any further, check out the article 3 Arrested in Alleged Moving Scam.

If you’re movers quotes are not guaranteed on a weight/distance shipment, there are ways that the shipments weight can be falsified and exaggerated to inflate the cost.

1.  The driver can get an empty weight with a smaller lighter tractor than the tractor used for the heavy weight.
2. The driver can get an empty weight with empty fuel tanks and a heavy weight with a full fuel tank, this can potentially add up to 1500 lbs to the shipment if his truck has twin 150 gallon fuel tanks (diesel is 5lbs per gallon).
3. The driver can put something on the back of the trailer for extra weight, 5-6 people, a skid of heavy materials like newsprint; even one instance a driver put a jeep wrangler on the trailer to get the heavy weight.  All of these cases do the same thing to inflate the weight of the shipment and the cost to the customer.
4. Some driver can even get small weight ticket machines or metal imprints to manufacture bogus weight tickets from fictional scales.

To avoid these potential problems, watch the truck weight at a Certified Scale before and after loading.  It’s an extra stop but it confirms that he shipments weight is accurate and the charges are fair.  By no way is this painting a picture that all movers are trying to cheat the public, they’re not, but this can protect you against the few bad apples that operate dishonestly.

There are various websites out there that are great resources for selling that old piece of furniture or finding that trinket from your youth.  These websites have a ton of traffic and serve a great purpose but they are not a viable option when finding a mover.  When scouring the internet to find “cheap movers”, you must remember that price point cannot be the only criteria in the search.  The first thing to do is check your states moving regulations on this site State Moving Regulations.  That way you can verify that quote you are getting is being calculated by the correct legal method.  Then make sure the mover or movers you are getting bids from are licensed to do the type of move you require; intrastate  or local moves(within a state) or interstate (across state lines).  Next verify your options for insurance, its cost, and the carrier’s liability.  Some bad things can happen if you choose an unlicensed, uninsured rogue mover.  If they damage your goods the chance of remedy is little or none.  Since these individuals always want “cash only” any potential dispute with the credit card company goes out the window.  If one of these movers injures himself or herself on your property without workers compensation insurance, the liability could shift to you if it’s your property.  Finally, if the rogue mover doesn’t respect the laws regarding licensing and insurance he probably doesn’t respect your rights either.  This means any dealing in good faith is questionable at best. 

So as tempting as it is to find an unlicensed uninsured mover on an internet “list”, the potential problems outweigh the cost savings.

 The article from the Long Island Moving & Storage Association “An Open Letter to New York Area Consumers about Rogue Operators and How to Avoid Them” gives a brief description for all consumers and how to avoid rogue operators who rip off the consumers with low bidding, and demanding higher fees.  It gives some tips on background checking and the due diligence a consumer can do on the front side to avoid scams later. 

There are several places, the article points out, that can be important tools in verifying a movers’ compliance and rating in the industry.  It focuses on giving consumers information to make a more educated decision when choosing a mover.

To read more on this article and to avoid rogue operators, check out this article,  “An Open Letter“.  This article is directed towards consumers in New York, but the rule applies to all 50 states to avoid yourself getting taken advantage of.

What is a “rogue” or ”bandit” mover, you ask?  These are companies that you should stay away from, and look the other way.  “Red Flag”, you do not want to hire these companies.  They are no action movers that promise people things that they have no intention fulfilling.  Some of these companies hold your items hostage and force people to pay more than what was originally quoted, and may not be licensed either.  They will give you a quote without getting a list of items or doing an onsite survey.  Do your homework, these tips will help you spot a rogue mover, and to hire a reputable company.

With interstate moves, when dealing with movers, they should provide you with a Rights and Regulation Guide for mover (booklet that movers are required to provide the customer for preparing them for their upcoming moves).  If they do not, make sure to ask for one, and if they tell you they cannot, you should do your research to make sure they are licensed to perform interstate moves or if they have any records.

LARGE DEPOSITS OR 1/2 THE MONEY UP FRONT.  If a company is requiring a large amount of money up front or ½ up front be careful, they may be up to something.

ONSITE ESTIMATE:  The Company does not give you a written or onsite estimate.  By law if the company is within the same state less than 50 miles away, they are required to provide the customer with an in-home estimate in most states.

WRITTEN ESTIMATE:  It is very important that the company gives you a written estimate, if they will not provide you with a written estimate, you may want to check some new mover lists, and find a different company, however some states like Ohio don’t require a written estimate if the move is under $500, or booked within 5 days of the move.

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU RECORD:  This is a good tool to see how many complaints your mover has had in the last 36 months, dont just rely on the letter or rating they have, make sure you check the # of complaints also, you will get a good feel of who you are dealing with.

RATES TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE:  If the price seems overly cheap, or on a local move, there stating they are power movers and can get your move done in less time than seems possible, do more research, be careful, because these type of companies are use to taking advantage of the customer.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:  Find out where the company’s home base is, make sure they have a physical address that is legit, phone #’s are working, etc, that way on the day of the move you are able to reach someone whether it is the office or owner, etc.  If an office doesn’t exist, this is another warning sign, to have you choose another company.

CASH ONLY:  If a company only accepts cash, this should make you wary, there is no paper trail to be left.  Most companies will accept certified funds, major credit cards, etc.

BILL OF LADING:  When the company is doing your move, they should have you sign the Bill of Lading and go through insurance with you, if they are not giving you a copy of the Bill of Lading, this is another warning sign, because especially for interstate shipments, your contract # is on here, and this is how many companies have you track your shipment.

LICENSE # ON TRUCK/UNMARKED TRUCK:  If a truck is unmarked or no license #, you may want to do a little more investigation before having your items loaded onto their vehicle.

GET REFERRALS: Do your homework, there are a lot of ROGUE movers out there, but with the proper research, there are a lot of GOOD MOVING companies out there also.